Dear KCEF Friends and Partners,
The second term of 2023 has just begun in Kenya. While our partner schools are off to a great start, they urgently need our help. So we are delighted to announce that a group of KCEF supporters has come together to provide a matching gift of $20,000. If, with your help, we can match their commitment, it would mean a total of $40,000 in very timely support.
So far, it has been quite an eventful year in Kenya:
The spring rains have finally come, helping to alleviate the worst drought in 40 years.
Political protests have led to some riots causing social disruptions, including disruptions of schools; though, for now, those protests are on hold.
The dark cloud of extreme inflation continues to hang over the entire country. As always, this has the greatest effect on the poorest families—the very families we serve. Prices for food and other necessities have more than doubled from a year ago, causing great stress for families living at a subsistence level. Simply put, it is a very hard time.
For KCEF partner schools, there are two primary implications:
The cost of providing daily meals for all students has radically increased.
More and more families (mostly single parents) cannot afford school fees, which means that a number of students at each of our schools have had to stay home, interrupting their education and being further exposed to the dangers of the Nairobi slums.
Moreover, the government has mandated that all primary schools must add grade 9, broadening their programs to become “junior secondary schools.” This has resulted in significant costs to KCEF schools for science and computer labs, related teaching materials, and other costs.
To stand with our schools and our students at this stressful time:
We must provide increased funds to assure that all students still receive morning porridge and a nutritious lunch.
We must also provide additional scholarship help to those families who simply cannot afford to pay school fees in full.
It is no exaggeration to say that this matching grant opportunity comes at a critical time. Matching the $20,000 in full to qualify for a total of $40,000 will go a long way toward meeting pressing needs, particularly since the value of the U.S. dollar in Kenya has never been stronger.
We hope you will join with our matching partners to support our students and their families, furthering the goal of giving them HOPE for their futures.
You can donate online (https://kcefund.org/how-to-help/) or via check to KCEF, 6 Maple Street, Essex, MA, 01929.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
We look forward to being able to tell you soon that the match has been met!
Gratefully, on behalf of all of us,
Craig Hammon
KCEF Board Chair
hammoncraig@gmail.com